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Saturday, April 30, 2016

The final day of our Mega Marathon, here i m with a simple rasam recipe. Though it was decided to do something with zeera/jeera, i was not sure what to do?? Finally i settled for this herbal rasam with jeera and oregano/karpooravalli.Karpooravalli/Omavalli/Ajwain leaves is also known as country borage, French thyme, Indian borage, Indian mint, Mexican Mint, Soup Mint, Spanish Thyme, Big Thyme, Cuban oregano, also as Indian Oregano.

It is only recently i started making this rasam and it has become once in 2 weeks definite menu. First for its health benefits and secondly i need to keep my oregano plant prim and propped too!!

I give it a cut every 2 weeks and so the day it is getting a cut, i make this rasam for my kiddo's. I love that mild kicky flavor of fresh oregano in the rasam, kids never know what it is,but they love it.

It is pretty easy to make, if you have the ingredients. It is well suited for those seasonal changes which brings along cough,cold and allergies. Hot rasam drizzled over steaming hot rice and a dollop of ghee, is a good cure for those aaachoooo's!!!

Ingredients

1 tbsp tuvar dal

2 tsp cumin seeds/jeera seeds

3 nos medium size plump tomatoes

1 green chili

a strand of curry leaf

1 tsp shredded ginger

2 tsp homemade kootu podi

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

10 no fresh karpooravalli/Indian Oregano leaves

10 nos fresh tulsi/holy basil leaves (optional)

1 tsp salt

fresh coriander leaves and shredded ginger for garnish

Tempering

2 tsp ghee

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

2 pinches of hing

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 green chili, chopped

1/4 tsp freshly pounded pepper powder

Method

Soak dal and cumin seeds in water for 20 minutes. Drain and take it together with chopped tomatoes, green chili, curry leaves, shredded ginger, oreganao/karpooravalli/omavalli and tulsi/holybasil leaves.

Grind it together to a fine paste, no need to add water. Remove the contents to a wide pan, add 1 cup of water to the mixie, wash and pour the water to the ground tomato mix.

To this mix, add rasam powder, turmeric powder and salt. Let it boil for 5-8 minutes or until the rawness of the rasam powder dissappears. Add 1/2 cup of water to this rasam and take it off the stove. Check the consistency of the rasam, it will be little thick because of ground tuvar dal. Add another 1/4 cup of water, if it is too thick.

Now for the tadka, heat ghee in a small pan, splutter mustard seeds, add hing, cumin seeds, fresh pepper powder and chopped green chili. Pour this sizzling tadka over the rasam , Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves and 1/2 tsp of fresh shredded ginger and serve warm over steaming hot rice and a dollop of ghee.

I didn't realize karporavalli was oregano. In our homes infants are fed a few drops of the leaves juice when they have cold and they get cured instantly. This rasam is definitely on the healthy side and intelligent use of Z word. Loved all your breakfast and chutney dishes, this marathon.

Wow your oregano pot looks so wonderful Priya..We had it for many years though never used it much..only after it withered did I realize that I could've cooked it...Wonderful series and I enjoyed all that you cooked up. Kudos on your excellent choice of dishes across states, each day was an exciting one wanting to know what you come up with.